This invention relates to a combination helmet and body protection device useful for the sports of American football, lacrosse, and other sports or activities where contact with other participants and/or objects may occur. It is well known that many sports and occupations present a high degree of risk to the participants. One of the key areas of risk is in trauma to the cervical spine, which often result in injury to the participant's spinal cord, the bony structure of the spine, disks and connective tissue, and result in some level of disability and/or death.
A large number of these injuries result from axial loading, i.e., a high load being placed on the top of the participant's head, as during tackling or blocking in American football. For example, since at least the mid-1970's football players at all levels have been taught to keep their heads up during tackling and blocking, and not to use their head as a "battering ram." Use of the shoulders during these activities reduces the chances that the player will suffer a catastrophic spinal cord injury during blocking or tackling. However, such injuries do still occur at alarming numbers due to a number of possible reasons. For example, it is often reflexive for a player to lower his head during a tackle. In addition, "freak accidents" have occurred at all levels of sport. Improper coaching techniques and equipment which is not designed to offer protection to the participant from such injuries can contribute to these problems, particularly at the lower age levels. In addition, catastrophic cervical spine injuries can occur from contact with the ground during a fall or from other contact that, due to the nature of the sport or activity, cannot be predicted or controlled.
Using American football as an example, currently available equipment is very similar in overall design. The equipment available to the professional is better in many respects to that available to other levels but these differences are often in the materials with which the products are made, and not in the actual design of such devices.
The currently available protective equipment for the upper body generally includes a helmet and shoulder protection, and, for some, neck braces and rib protectors. When an individual is equipped with the standard helmet and shoulder pads currently available, the force of a blow to the top of the head is transmitted solely through the participant's neck, thus resulting in a high axial or lateral load on the cervical spine and exposing the wearer's neck or spine to potentially crippling forces.
A further problem which is also likely to result in serious damage to the participant's neck is whiplash resulting from a quick and violent wrenching of the head in one direction due to, among other things, the player's face mask being grabbed and pulled from the side or the head being forced violently to the front or back.
There have been other attempts made to create football equipment which eliminates or reduces the above-described problems. However, none of these prior attempts have been ultimately successful, as is demonstrated by the fact that catastrophic cervical spine injuries are still occurring at alarming rates at all levels of sport. See, e.g., Cantu and Mueller, Catastrophic Spine Injuries in Football (1977-1989), Journal of Spine Disorders (vol. 3, no. 3, 1990).
One of the main reasons that prior attempts to reduce spine injuries have failed is due to the nature of the sport itself. Football, for example, is a fast and violent sport which requires great athletic ability and flexibility. Many prior art devices are either cumbersome and would not be practical in regular usage, or would excessively and unacceptably limit the flexibility and/or visibility of the players; thus making many of these devices difficult for the players to use.
These same problems exist when attempting to provide sufficient protection in other activities such as driving, cycling, riot control, fire fighting, etc.